Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed recently talked about the exclusion of wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan from the T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. In the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, Azam Khan could only score one run in two innings.
Rasheed acknowledged Azam Khan’s poor performance but stated that the door is open for his return if he works on his issues and improves. Rasheed also emphasized that many cricketers have been dropped and made comebacks, playing cricket for a long time. He reiterated that currently, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris are the wicketkeeper-batters for the squad, while Azam Khan is in the pipeline.
Rasheed denied reports about the selection committee contacting Mohammad Amir over a possible return to the national side. He emphasized that the selection door is open for everyone, and it is up to them to perform, and then their performance will be judged. He also highlighted the importance of left-hander Haris Sohail in the squad ahead of the World Cup in India.
According to Rasheed, Haris Sohail is an outstanding middle-order batter who can play spinners really well. With the World Cup coming up in 2023, Pakistan needs to bear this in mind. Rasheed added that the PCB Selection Committee can experiment with the T20 squad but cannot do the same in the ODI squad because the Pakistan team only has eight ODIs before the World Cup.
Rasheed brushed aside the notion that the selection committee and all-format captain Babar Azam were not on the same page. He clarified that Babar Azam is the captain of the Pakistan team, and the squad was finalized after discussions with him. Rasheed stated that there is no disagreement, and everyone is on the same page with regards to selection.
The exclusion of Azam Khan from the T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand was based on his recent poor performance. However, according to Haroon Rasheed, the door is open for his return if he works on his issues and improves. Rasheed also emphasized the importance of Haris Sohail in the squad ahead of the World Cup in India and reiterated that the selection committee and Babar Azam were on the same page with regards to selection.
